Nintendo Switch download sizes revealed, making extra memory a must

Nintendo has published the file sizes for its lineup of downloadable Nintendo Switch games, and one flat-out says a separate microSD card is necessary for users who wish to go that route.

That's because Dragon Quest Heroes 1 & 2 is a 32 GB download, which is exactly the amount of on-board memory that comes with Nintendo's new console. Set aside 6.1 GB for the Switch's operating system and other software and there's no way to fit this on the console itself. Dragon Quest Heroes 1 & 2 launches with the Switch on March 3 in Japan; it hasn’t yet been dated for the west.

Of course, this isn't much of a surprise and there's always the option of buying the retail version of some of the beefier games. We already knew The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes up 13.4 GB of storage space. Still, it’s looking very much like extra memory is a hidden cost, one that will take some real file management discipline to avoid.

Here are the other Switch games' file sizes according to their official Nintendo pages (via IGN).

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 7 GB
• Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together: 1.6 GB
• Disgaea: 5: 5.92 GB
• Puyo Puyo Tetris: 1.09 GB
• I Am Setsuna: 1.4 GB
• Nobunaga's Ambition: 5 GB

The first look at the Nintendo Switch